Mechanism for pirn magazines in weaving looms



Feb. 23, 1965 Lc oL $170,492;

- MECHANISM FOR 918w MAGAZINES} IN: wEAv-ING LooMS Filed July 3, 19.62 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 'FIG.I

INVENTOR JAIME PICANOL ATTORNEYS Feb. 23, 1965 .LPICANOL 2 MECHANISM FOR PIRN MAGAZINES IN WEAVING LOOMS Filed July 3. 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 III/I III A 0 o 20 o o 2 2o o 9 I 32 I '3, f x I 9 I9 9 [932 INVENTOR O 0 JAIME PICANOL ATTORNEYS Feb. 23, 1965 J. PICANOL 3,170,492

MECHANISM FOR PIRN MAGAZINES IN WEAVING LOOMS Filed July 3, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet s INVENTOR JAIME PICANOL ATTORNEYS )Feb. 23, 1955 MECHANISM FOR .PIRN MAGAZINES IN WEAVING LOGMS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed July 3., 3:962

FIG. 6

INVENTOR JAIME PICANOL BY dmu l -gu ATTORNEYS 7 3,170,492 MECHANISM FOR PIRN MAGAZINES IN WEAVING LODMS Jaime Picanol, Casa Pairal Catalunya, Zillebelke-lez- Ypres, Belgium Filed July 3, 1962, Ser. No. 207,369 Claims priority, application Belgium, Mar. 20, 1962, Patent 615,2?3 6 Claims. (Cl. 139-245) In looms with several wefts-and more particularly in the case of fast loomsthe feed magazine of the change raises the problem of the rapid release of the pirn which must automatically replace that pirn which the feeler has disclosed as being empty.

The importance of this problem increases with the performance of the considered looms and with the number of looms which have to be supervised by one and the same foreman. The automatic character and the continuity of normal operation of the loom will indeed depend among other factors upon the safety with which the change mechanism can be fed.

It is therefore essential to have available a sturdy mechani'sm without the slightest zone of distortion, capable of being operated very quickly and having no part which is particularly subjected to fatigue, all these factors leading to a reduction of maintenance costs, the lowering of the number of loom stoppages, and consequently an increase in overall operating efficiency. A correct drop speed is most important, considering that the pirn generally is subject to a certain amount of rebound and that consequently sufiicient time must be available for its complete and correct immobilization before the change mechanism operates. Up to the present day, the almost universally applied holding and respectively releasing device for the pirns has been the so called spoon device. Substantially this device consists of kinds of clamps or spoons located near both extremities of the pirn and joined together by a rod. These spoons normally retain the pirn. They are withdrawn laterally with respect to the pirn by the rotation of aforesaid rod. Considering however the very reduced space available, this rod is of rather small diameter. As a consequence thereof, it is frequently found that after a certain period of use, a discrepancy occurs between the angular positions of the two spoons, with the result that the pirn-can not be released uniformly at both ends so that it becomes inclined before and during its drop. It is thus prevented from dropping in perfectly horizontal position as is required for its admittance in the changedevice proper. Moreover, such a maladjustment often causes a certain delay in the release of one or of both ends of the pirn. These drawbacks are considerably amplified by the high performance of modern looms, and all the more in the case of looms with several wefts in which the pirn magazines are partitioned in accordance with the number of different wefts or colours required by the design of the fabric being woven. It is absolutely essential that at any moment the pirn should be released extremely rapidly and simultaneously at both ends, and that its drop should occur sufiiciently early and fast so as to give it enough time to be correctly seated in the automatic change mechanism.

With that purpose in view, a characteristic feature of the present invention consists in the fact that the withdrawal of the pirn supports, in the lower compartments of the magazine is effected, not by a rotation, but by a moment of translation, and preferably, by a translatory motion in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the pirn. One of the supports provided for this purpose is called the drawer (or slide) on account of its shape and translatory motion. Such a drawer can be constructed United States Patent very sturdily and without any possibility of getting out of adjustment, considering that the only reason which could interfere with its correct operation would be a spontaneous change of length, which is of course impossible. The shape and dimensions of the drawer are indeed such, that the latter is not only constituted by one single element which simultaneously supports both ends of the pirn, but also that all its parts move simultaneously and in the same manner in a translatory motion parallel to the pirn, thus eliminating for certain any lag between the instants of release of both ends of aforesaid pirn.

Substantially, such a drawer is made up of a rigid and resistant bar, having at one end two projections close to each other but located at different levels and, towards the other end, a stop post. Moreover, this drawer is constructed in such a manner as to be able to retain the pirn at the bottom of the magazine stack and to release this pirn by a movement of translation, whilst simultane ously retaining one end of the next pirn. The mechanism according to the present invention is further completed by an additional support, which can also be displaced by a longitudinal translatory movement, and by a mechanism thus conditioned, that in one single operation aforesaid additional support retracts when the drawer is in active position, and conversely, that aforesaid additional support takes up its active position when the drawer is retracted.

These essential characteristic features as well as other particularities of the drawer device, subject of the present invention, will become more apparent from the detailed description below, wherein reference is made to the appended drawings of which:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic overall view of the assembly, showing the location of the drawer mechanism according to the present invention, in a lifting box loom;

FIGURE 2 shows a side view of one of the compartments of a magazine for multiple weft looms;

FIGURE 3 is a cross-section according to line III-III of FIGURE 2, more particularly showing the guiding means of one of the ends of the pirns;

FIGURE 4 is a cross-section according to line IVIV of FIGURE 2, more particularly showing the guiding means of the other end of the pirns;

FIGURE 5 shows a perspective view of a characteristic drawer mechanism according to the invention;

FIGURE 6 shows a perspective view of a drawer in active position, i.e. retaining the lower pirn of a magazine compartment;

FIGURE 7 shows a perspective view of a drawerfin the position in which it releases the lower pirn and retains one end of the next pirn;

In this form of embodiment, the pirn magazine 1 is divided in the known manner, by means of guide channels for both ends of the pirns, into vertical compartments 2-3-4-5, extended towards the bottom by sloping guide planes 67 and the change mechanism proper, schematically represented as 8. In this magazine, both ends of the pirns are duly guided between webs provided on the inner surfaces of the magazine walls, and the pirns are stacked in separate columns according to the weft they carry. The lower pirn of each column is retained by a characteristic drawer according to the present invention, the additional support being retracted.

As shown more particularly in FIGURE 5, such a drawer is substantially made up of a bar 9, with upstanding end 10 and, at a slight distance from the latter, a small upstanding partition ll, thus forming a cavity 12 as a seating for the operating device. On one of the flat surfaces and towards one end of aforesaid bar 9 a projection 13 of prismatic aspect has beenprovided, the first half of the upper edge of which bears a ridge 14 which connects to the frontal surface of aforesaid projection by means of a curved face 15, the second half of the lower edge of projection 13 bearing a similar ridge to also connected to the frontal surface "or aforesaid pro jection by a' curved face 17., The length of each of aforementionedridges 14416 is substantially equal to the length of a pirn head. Towards the other end of the same flat surface of bar 9v a stophas beenprovided, consisting of i to, the head of the lower pirn in each compartment.

Above each drawer an additional support has been provided. The latter consists of a rod 2i? which passes straight through the magazineand one end of which is provided with two slightly spaced stops 21-22,-the other endjbeing bent in the shape of a U, the free branch of which is parallel to aforementioned post l of'the draw er ian'dlo'cates itself between the ends of the first and the second pirns.

The drawer and aforesaid rod are conditioned, located and operated in such a manner, that when the drawer supports the lower pirn by means of its ridge f6 and its post 19', branch 23 of aforesaid rod 2% is retracted. a I

Theoperating mechanism of the drawer and of aforesaid rod is substantially made up of a rocker lever 24, each extremity of which carries the pivot pin of a roller, respectively 25-26. The first roller is engaged in seating cavity 12 of the drawer, the second roller being engaged between the two fixed stops 2122 on the rod. Rocker lever 24 also carries a cross arm 27 which, by means of retracting spring 28, maintains the rocker lever in such a manner that drawer 9 is in active position whilst rod 2043 is retracted. Upon aforesaid cross arm 2'7, one end of a rod 30 is attached by meanslof pivot pin 29, the other end. of aforesaid rod being subject to being depressed or respectively released by the automatic control mechanism schematically represented by part 31. Normally, all drawers are maintained in their active position in which they support the lower pirn of the. stack in their respective compartments, and all rods 2tl 23 are retracted. This characteristic position is shown schematically by the'perspective view of FEGURE 6. The lower pirn 32 in each compartment is retained on the onehand by the lower ridge 16, and on the other instantaneously, and without shock or vibration, retract in p a perfectly uniform manner from both extremities of the pirn. This retraction is brought about by a small and rapid longitudinal movement of translation, the amplitude 'of which is equal, or approximately equal, to the length of ridge l6. Simultaneously, rod Zti-ZS is displaced by .translatory motion in the opposite sense. 7 One thus obtains,'as schematically represented by FIG URE 7, that whilst the head of pirn 32 is-be-ing released by lower ridge 16 of the drawer, the head of pirn 33 is progressively being supported by the upper ridge 14 of the same drawer. Atlthe'same time, during the release of the other end of pirn 32, in consequence of the retraction'of post 19, branch23 progressively places itself under the corresponding end of pirn 33. In this manner, at the moment when pirn 32 is entirely released, simultaneously at both ends, the next pirn 33 is correctly retained, also at both ends, itself supporting thefollowing pirns above it, a

penultimate pirn Whilst the last pirn is beingreleased, as

- hand by post 19. Theotherpirns of each column, such- 7 When the mechanism is released from the actuation by part 31,.which schematicallyrepresents the control mechanism, drawer 9 returns to its active position whilst rod 269-23 retracts. Pirn 33 is then supported on the one hand by lower ridge in of the drawer, and on the other hand by post 19 of the same drawer, th'e'whole mcchanism having returned toits starting position shown in FIGURE 6. J

As can be seen, asimp'le translatory movement of the supports is sufficient'to'reiease the lower pirn in the magazine almost instantaneously, and at both ends at once. Not only can this releasing movement be carried out almost instantaneously, bntthere ,exists moreover practically no possibility of disturbance of, adjustment or of discrepancy between the operation of the supports "at both ends, considering they are parts of one and the same drawer, whichis of compact construction, and that the longitudinal translatory' movement is of relatively small amplitude, all features which guarantee an exceptional degree of operating safety with practically nowear or fatgue.

Theasame degree of operating safety is to be found 7 characteristic drawef according to the present invention may be modifiedin function of the particular pirns being used, of the-type of magazinewhich they haveto equip,-1as well as of the operating device which will be adopted to displace themat the required moment by a longitudinal; translatory movement. The" means used for guiding such drawers are also subject to variations, as

are also theadditional supporting elements which merely come into'operatiorr to support the adjacent end of the previously described.

The present inventionis concerned with these drawer mechanisms as such, as well as with the pirn maga zines equipped with such drawers.

What-I claim is:

1. Apparatus for feeding pirns from a magazine adapted to' contain a stack of superposed pirns which comprises:

a bar; a I

means for supporting said bar adjacent the lowermost pirn in said stack, and for sliding movement between first and second operative positions, said bar having a projectionthereonadjacent one end, said projection having a lower curved face engaging one end of the lowermost pirn insaid stack when said bar is in its first operative position, said projection having an upper curved face located alongside the lower curved face for engaging one end of. the second lowermost pirn in said stack when said bar is moved to its second operative position;

a post carried on the other end of said bar and extending parallel with said bar, said post engaging the other end of the lowermost pirn in said stack when said bar is in its first operative position;

a rod, saidf rod being U-shap'ed at one end, the free branch of said U-shaped end extending parallel with adapted to contain a stack of superposedvpirns-which comprises: i i

a bar; I means for supporting said bar adjacent the lowermost pirn in said stack, and for sliding movement between first and second operative positions, said'bar having a bracket carried at one end thereof, a post carried by said bracket, and a projection adjacent the other end, said projection having a curved lower face, the curved lower face and said post being adapted to receive the ends of the lowermost pirn in said stack for supporting said lowermost pirn when said bar is in its first operative position, said curved lower face and said post disengaging from said lowermost pirn when said bar is moved to its secondoperative position, said projection having a curved upper face located alongside the alongside the curved lower face which engages the second lowermost pirn in said stack at one end when said bar is moved-to said second operative position;

a rod, said rod being U-shaped at one end,v the tree branch of said U-shaped end extending parallel with said post;

' means forsupporting said rod for sliding movement parallel to said bar and betweenfirst and second a operative positions, the free branch of the U-shaped end of said rod supportin'gly engaging the other end of the second lowermost pirn in said stack when said rod is in its second operative position; and

means connected with said bar and said rod for, simultaneously sliding said bar and said rod between their first and second operative positions.

. 3. Apparatus for feeding pirns from a magazine in accordance with claim 1 wherein the free branch of the ,tJ-shaped end of said rod extends in the direction'of the other end of said rod. v

4. Apparatus for feeding pirns from a magazine in accordance with claim 1 wherein the means for sliding said 7 bar and said rod between their first and second operative positions comprises a rocker lever operatively connected with corresponding ends of said bar and said rod, whereby said bar and said rod travel in reciprocal directions one direction, and an actuator member connected with vsaid cross arm for rotating said rocker lever in an Op- 7 posite direction.

6. Apparatus for feeding pirns ,from a magazine adapted to contain a stack of superposed pirns which comprises: 7

an elongated bar;

means for supporting said bar adjacent the lowermost pirn in said stack, and for sliding movement between first and second operative positions, said bar having a bracket carried at one end thereof, a cylindrical post carried by said bracket and extending parallel with said bar in the direction of the other end of said bar, and a prismatic-shaped projection adjacent the other end of said bar, said projection having a curved lower face curving outwardly from top to bottom on said projection, the curved lower face and said post being adapted to receive the ends of the lowermost pirn in said stack for supporting said lowermost pirn when said bar is in its first operative position, said projection and said post disengaging from said lowermost pirn when said bar-is moved to its second operative position, said projection having a curved upper face located alongside the curved lower face which engages the second lowermost pirn in said stack at one end-when said bar is moved to said second operative position; a rod, said rod being U-shaped at one end, the free branch of said U-shaped endextending parallel to i said rod in the direction of the other end of said rod; means for supporting said rod for sliding movement parallel to said bar and between first and second operative positions, the free branch of the U-shaped end of said rod supportingly engaging the other end of the second lowermost pirn in said stack when said rod is in its second operative position;

a rocker lever operatively connected at its ends with said other end of said'bar, and with the said other end of said rod;

a cross arm connected with said rocker lever'for rotating said rocker lever; v p a another rod connected with said cross arm and operable for swinging said cross arm and thereby rotating said rocker arm in one direction to move said bar and References Lited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 902,193 10/08 Wyrnan 13924'5 1,005,321 10/11 Ryon 139-245 1,495,717 5/24 Ryon 139425 1,663,930 3/28 Watson 139232.2 2,510,348 6/50 Peterson.

RUSSELL C. MADER, Primary Examiner.

DONALD W. PARKER, Examiner. 

1. APPARATUS FOR FEEDING PIRNS FROM A MAGAZINE ADAPTED TO CONTAIN A STACK OF SUPERPOSED WHICH COMPRISES: A BAR; MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SAID BAR ADJACENT THE LOWERMOST PIRN IN SAID STACK, AND FOR SLIDING MOVEMENT BETWEEN FIRST AND SECOND OPERATIVE POSITIONS, SAID BAR HAVING A PROJECTION THEREON ADJACENT ONE END, SAID PROJECTION HAVING A LOWER CURVED FACE ENGAGING ONE END OF THE LOWERMOST PIRN IN SAID STACK WHEN SAID BAR IS IN ITS FIRST OPERATIVE POSITION, SAID PROJECTION HAVING AN UPPER CURVED FACE LOCATED ALONGSIDE THE LOWER CURVED FACE FOR ENGAGING ONE END OF THE SECOND LOWERMOST PIRN IN SAID STACK WHEN SAID BAR IS MOVED TO ITS SECOND OPERATIVE POSITION; A POST CARRIED ON THE OTHER END OF SAID BAR AND EXTENDING PARALLEL WITH SAID BAR, SAID POST ENGAGING THE OTHER END OF THE LOWERMOST PIRN IN SAID STACK WHEN SAID BAR IS IN ITS FIRST OPERATIVE POSITION; A ROD, SAID ROD BEING U-SHAPED AT ONE END, THE FREE BRANCH OF SAID U-SHAPED END EXTENDING PARALLEL WITH SAID POST; MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SAID ROD FOR SLIDING MOVEMENT PARALLEL TO SAID BAR AND BETWEEN FIRST AND SECOND OPERATIVE POSITIONS, THE FREE BRANCH OF THE U-SHAPED END OF SAID ROD SUPPORTINGLY ENGAGING THE OTHER END OF THE SECOND LOWERMOST PIRM IN SAID STACK WHEN SAID ROD IS IN ITS SECOND OPERATIVE POSITION; AND MEANS CONNECTED WITH SAID BAR AND SAID ROD FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY SLIDING SAID BAR AND SAID ROD BETWEEN THEIR FIRST AND SECOND OPERATIVE POSITIONS. 